The next expansion in the Mechwarrior series, Legend of the Kestrel Lancers, is coming to all platforms Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries calls home this September 23rd.
The upcoming expansion is a departure from the sandbox gameplay Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries brings to the table. Instead Legend of the Kestrel Lancers is more focused on the story it's trying to tell, set during the "Fourth Succession War." This new story features 14 new missions, as well as 7 "Battle Quests," large-scale battles on a custom battleground. Additionally, Legends of the Kestrel Lancers will hit alongside the PlayStation console release.
We are excited to announce the new expansion pack for #MW5Mercs coming out on September 23rd!Legend of the Kestrel Lancers will launch alongside the PlayStation release and bring with it another free game-changing update to the base game!https://t.co/jl7lPfCodH pic.twitter.com/fDTB18FZzl
— MechWarrior5Mercs (@MW5Mercs) September 16, 2021
In addition to the new story content, Piranha Games states that the upcoming expansion will see improvements to urban warfare with Mega Cities, which the developer describes as "significantly larger than any Urban Centers previously seen."
For players who are still enjoying just the base game, there is an update coming alongside Mechwarrior 5's expansion, which sees the introduction of melee combat to the BattleTech-based game.
Via the press release this morning:
"Players can also look forward to a free update to the base game, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries adding significant first-in-series features, including the introduction of Melee Combat! For the first time in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, players will be able to get up-close and personal with rival Mechs with the ability to swing and punch. In addition, for the first time, players will be able to switch between any of the AI-controlled Lance ‘Mechs on a mission. This seemingly small update introduces huge impacts on gameplay, essentially allowing the player to bounce between direct control of each Mech in their squad with the push of a button. "
You can check out Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries' Legend of the Kestrel Lancers on September 23rd on PC, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox Series Consoles, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
